A television monitor/receiver is a television component capable of receiving and processing both baseband and radio frequency (RF) television signals. That is, a television monitor/receiver includes all of the elements of a monitor and also includes an RF tuner. Modern video cassette recorders (VCRs) also receive and process both baseband video and RF television signals. While the invention is described primarily with regard to a television monitor/receiver embodiment, the scope of the invention is intended to include VCR's as well. A television monitor/receiver usually provides a panel on the rear of its cabinet upon which is mounted connectors for providing the monitor/receiver with at least RF input signals, video input signals and audio input signals. In addition to these basic signals, modern monitor/receivers may provide terminals, or "jacks", for receiving left and right stereo audio signals from, for example, a stereo audio equipped video cassette recorder (stereo VCR). (As used herein the terms "connector", "jack", and "terminal" have the same meaning and are used interchangeably.) A modern monitor/receiver may also provide audio output terminals from which audio signals may be connected to an external audio amplifier, or directly to external speakers. Monitor/receivers having as many as 20 connectors on their panel are commonly available.
Not all of the connectors of a monitor receiver will ordinarily be used at one time. The unused connectors represent an unnecessary expense, and a large number of connectors may tend to cause confusion among users.
Efforts have been made in the industry to alleviate the confusion among users resulting from a relatively large number of rear panel connectors. One such effort is the RCA Dimensia system of audio and video components employing an audio/video signal bus. In the Dimensia system, an internal switching network is used to select desired audio and video signals for connection to the audio/video bus from among those connected to the back panel. A monitor/receiver having rear panel jacks selected by such an internal switching network is the RCA CTC-140 television monitor/receiver. A complete description of the CTC-140 monitor-receiver is found in "1987 CTC 140 Color Television Basic Service Data", and in "CTC 140 Color TV Chassis Technical Training Manual", published by RCA Technical Publications, Indianapolis, Ind.